How many doses of rabies vaccine does an unvaccinated person receive during the PEP protocol?

The post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) protocol for rabies is designed to effectively prevent the onset of the disease in individuals who have been potentially exposed to the rabies virus. For an unvaccinated person, the standard PEP regimen comprises multiple doses of the rabies vaccine. Specifically, the protocol involves administering four doses of the rabies vaccine on days 0, 3, 7, and 14.

The reasoning behind this schedule is to ensure that the immune response is adequately triggered and developed against the rabies virus. The initial dose on day 0 kicks off the vaccination series, while subsequent doses on days 3, 7, and 14 work to boost the immune response over time, thereby maximizing the development of immunity and providing sufficient protection against rabies. This multi-dose regimen is critical because rabies is a highly fatal viral infection, and timely intervention is essential for effective prevention.

For vaccinated individuals or those already immune, different protocols exist; thus, the case for an unvaccinated individual specifically requires the four doses spread over the specified days.